Layered Baked Butterkin

Think dauphinoise or layered tray bake, but fancied up a bit. Kūmara (sweet potato), potato and sauce soubise, layered and baked inside a butterkin. Top it with a crown of thinly sliced potatoes and this humble dish dinner becomes party worthy. While purple potatoes or kūmara don’t taste any different than their pale counterparts, the colour contrast makes layered baked butterkin look more interesting.

Layered Baked Butterkin

Depending on the size of the butterkin, kūmara and potatoes the amount you’ll need will vary.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole butterkin, buttercup or small pumpkin
• 1-2 each kūmara and potato
• 3-4 small waxy potatoes
• 250g onion finely sliced
• 30g plant-based butter
• 1/4 cup plain flour or gluten free flour
• 500ml oat milk or gluten -free plant-based milk of choice
• sea salt and ground white pepper
• optional – pinch of ground nutmeg

Method:

Pre-heat an oven to 180ºC, with a rack set just below halfway.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.

Cut the top off the butterkin and scoop out the seeds (save these if you’re a gardener)

Wash, peel and slice kumara and potato 2-3mm thick, use a mandolin with a guard if you have one.

Wash and slice the small waxy potatoes; you want these super thin, 1-2mm ideally.

To make a sauce soubise

 peel and finely slice the onion. Melt the plant-based butter in a pot and cook the onions for 10-15 minutes over a medium heat until they soften (not brown).

Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, slowly pour in the oat milk. Keep stirring while it thickens, take care that it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pot.

Chef’s Tip: For a traditional sauce soubise, you would puree or sieve the onions, but I like to leave them whole for texture for this recipe.

Season to taste with sea salt, ground white pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

In to the pot of seasoned boiling water, drop the large sliced potatoes for 2-3 minutes, this is because the slices kumara bakes much faster. After the 2-3 minutes remove the potatoes from the water.

Season the inside of the butterkin lightly with sea salt and pepper. Coat the inside base of the butterkin with some of the sauce Soubise, 2 to 4 tablespoons depending on the size of butterkin.

Start layering the kumara and potatoes, 2-3 layers of each with sauce Soubise in between. Press down on each layer, it will help hold it together when it’s finished baking.

Top the filled layered butterkin with a rosette of thinly sliced small potatoes, for an extra crispy finish you can glaze with a little oil.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 40-60 minutes, or until baked (test with a skewer inserted in the centre if you’re unsure).

Other family friendly baked dishes you might like to try, a Plant-Based Kuku or Potato and Red Onion Tortilla. Or read how to serve Lentils + Mushrooms + Potatoes three ways.